Hay and straw cutter



D. H. WHITTEMORE.

Y Straw Cutter. No. 29,930. .Patented sept. 4, 1860.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID H. \VHITTEMORE, OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

HAY AND STRAW CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,980, dated September 4, 1860.

To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, DAVID H. IVHITTE- Mona, of Lynchburg, in the countyof Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulMachine for .Cutting Hay, Straw, Cornstalks, &c.; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description oftheconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawing, making a part of this specification, in whichm Figure lis a perspective view showing one side, the front, and top of themachine, Fie'. 2 a plan front view, Eig. 3 a top view, and Fig. 4- asectional side view.

The same letters in different figures refer to the same parts of themachine, but represented by different views.

In Fig. l, A, A, A, is the wood frame. B and C, C, C is the metallicframe, which is intended to be made of cast iron, and is held together,and to the wood frame by two screws (seen) on each side, which frame (Band C, C, 0,) serves, as journal boxes to hold the arbor z', to which isattached, or cast, three flanges of spiral form, one of which isrepresented in E ig. l by D, E and E, D being the side, E the edge and Ea projection upon one side of the flange, which serves to ease thespring G down to its proper place after having been raised to a pointabove by the revolving flange, thereby preventing noise, &c.

vThe top or circular part of the frame B is mainly to cover up and givea neat appearance to the machine at that point, but prevents any straw,&c., from working or coming through at any other place than the placeintended, it also serves to strengthen or hold more firm that part ofthe frame C, below, t-o which the knife is attached, said knife notbeing' seen in Fig. l, but which runs the length of the frame C, and isattached to the other or lower side of said frame with the bevel sidedown, by which bevel and edge of said knife said flanges revolve,pressing the feed against the edge of 1 the knife, causing it to be cutoff.

The two screws in front and center of the frame C, serve to adjust saidknife to the revolving flanges.

The machine is put in mot-ion by the crank (i, and handle R, the balancewheel 7c, upon the opposite end of the arbor z', serving to give auniform and steady motion to the machine while in operation. The board Ghinged at T, T, is made to vibrate while the machine is .in motion, bythe revolving flanges (one of which is seen at D) or by the. flanges andstraw between pressing against it, the object of this board G, being tokeep the ends of the straw or article being cut below the level of theedge of the knife o, so that the revolving flange, with the help of theteeth upon the same, will draw it forward and under the knife, andbetween the knife and fiange, so that the latter may press it againstthe former, causing it to be cut off. A spiral spring is attached at Hto this board, which runs down and under the machine, (there is also oneon the opposite side but not seen in Eig. 1,) which serves to accomplishthe object just referred to, and which will be hereafter more fullydescribed by figures.

Fig. 2, is a front view of the machine, showing the crank j, in anupright position, the handle R, the wood frame A, A, A, the front partof the metallic frame C, C, C, and the back or circular part B, the twoscrews in the center of the frame C, which serve to adjust the knife 0,to the anges, the edge of which knife is represented by the straightline just below said screw. The slotted edge of the spring board G,which was referred to in Eig. l, is also seen below said line, whichrepresents the edge of the knife, the slots in said board being cut t0allow the teeth M &c. to project through them while in motion, therebycausing them to get a strong hold upon the article being cut, and whichis to be drawn forward by said teeth, and also to prevent the teeth fromcoming in contact with said board while in operation.

The teeth M, M, M, M, are seen projecting through the fianges and belowthe slotted edge of the spring board G, each tooth being immediately infront of, and inI revolving passes through, the edge of each of saidslots, in said board G, the teeth being with the help of the revolvingflanges and the spring board above, the means'used to draw the feedforward between the revolving flanges, and the cutting knife, therebymaking it a perfect and regular self-feeding machine.

The flange D below is seen upon the opposite side from the one above.Therefore the teeth are not seen.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the machine, in which the top or circular partof the metallic frame B is removed, (the points B, B,

e all representing where it was cut 0E), which allows the whole of thespring board G, to be seen, and the ends of the two springs, H, H, areseen attached to the board, the other ends being attached to the woodposts of the frame below. The edge of the knife o, is also seen betweenthe slotted edge of the board G, and the metallic frame C, the knifebeing held under the frame C, by screws the points of which are seenprojecting through at P, P. The two screws Q, Q, in front of the frameC, are for the purpose of adjusting said` knife to the flanges, thepoints of the screws coming against the back of it. The dotted line V,V, shows where the machine is cut to give the sectional view asrepresented in Fig. 4.

Fig. d being a side sectional view, the position of the spiral spring H,H, H, is seen (the other spring upon the opposite side being removed).One end of this spring is attached to a pin in the wood post below, theother end runs through the side board of the hopper, and fastened to thespring board G, before described, a section edge view of which is seenby G, T. It is hinged at T, the end G, being allowed to vibrate, as theflanges, or flanges and feed may operate upon it, the flanges raisingit, while the springs draw it back to the position as seen. In thisfigure, an edge view of the metallic frame C, C, iS seen, into which thescrew P, is inserted to hold the knife to the frame, the points of whichat P, P, in Fig. 3 are seen. They pass through the knife o, and screw into the frame C. Also one of the adjusting screws, Q, is seen passingthrough the frame C, the point coming against the back of the knife o,0. Also is seen in Fig. et, arbor z', and the three flanges with theteeth M, M, M, inserted, and their relative position with the springboard G, the knife 0, 0, the metallic frame B and C, C.

In operating my machine the feed passes through at, and in the directionof, the arrow U, the ends of the feed reaching above the flanges, andteeth, M &c., and between the flanges and the spring board G. The teethM, revolving in the direction of the arrow S, are forced into the hay,or feed, and by their motion forward, the feed with them is drawn underVvthe knife 0, until the edge of the anges passes by the edge of theknife 0, 0, (the feed being between them) it is cut off. 1When the teethare in the act of raising and drawing the feed forward, the feed ispressed against the spring board G, and causes it to be raised to theposition represented by the dotted line above, and as the feed is cutthe ends of that lying in the hopper, is raised above the edge of theknife 0, 0, and in a position to prevent its being acted upon by theneXt revolving flange, and teeth, to draw it forward, but as the flangeis through cutting, or has passed from under the spring board G, andunder the edge of the knife o, 0, the spiral springs one of which isseen by H, H, H, operate upon the board G, and force it down from theposition of the dotted lines above, to the position as now seen below inFig. 4, and with it forcing down the hay (lying in the hopper) or theends of it, below the edge of the knife, that it may be drawn under, andthat the next revolving flange with its teeth, may take holdof it, todraw it forward, and press it against the knife to cut itas before, andthus the operation is continued, getting as many cuts with onerevolution, as I have` flanges upon the arbor. These flanges I proposeto make of cast iron or cast iron with steel or wrought iron fastened tothem.

By this simple arrangement, I am enabled to get from one to four cuts ata revolution, according to the number of flanges, with only one straightknife, and no gearing, no feed rolls, or other complicated machinery,and the power is applied direct, causing it to work very easily. Theseteeth can also be arranged upon a cylinder of cutting knives, in such amanner as described, and by having a sta-tionary bed knife, againstwhich the cutting knives press, to cut the feed, the same result isobtained, viz., dispensing with feel rolls, or other gearing to draw inthe fee Having thus described my machine, what I claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isd

l. So arranging the feed teeth M, M &c., upon a revolving cylinder orflanges, that said cylinder or flanges, will, while revolving, with thehelp of said teeth, both draw the feed forward, and in passing by astationary knife, cause it to be cut off', substantially as described.

2. Combining with said cylinder, the spring board G, in the manner, andfor the purpose, substantially as set forth.

3. Combining with said cylinder, and spring board, the stationary knife0, substantially as described.

DAVID H. IVHITTEMORE.

Witnesses:

C. A. WHITTEMORE, A. R. J osLIN.

